#jon carson

Mr. Carson: Before I begin, I am hoping that as I get into discussion on Bill 10, you will provide some latitude and maybe more latitude than you’ve ever provided a member before. You know, with this being my last opportunity, very, very likely, this evening to address the House – and I would be happy to make a contribution to a nonprofit charity of your choice, nonpartisan preferably. And for any Albertans who have a private member trying to bribe the chair on their bingo card, you can mark that one off.

Mr. Carson: Just so many pieces within this legislation, whether it be around the judicial review section, changing timelines or changing standard of reviews, or trying to put in immunity for cabinet and for members of the Legislature in case a directive is carried out that actually was against the law. I mean, it’s just ridiculous, Madam Chair, that we’ve gotten to a point where this government, again, with all of the libertarian tendencies that I thought were in that caucus, is willing to give themselves so much power, to create so much uncertainty within the investment environment, within the rule of law.

Mr. Carson: I think that many members have brought forward that if it was the NDP in government bringing forward this legislation, talking about, you know, giving extreme power to cabinet – and, I mean, I thought there were libertarians. I think the Member for Edmonton-Manning brought this issue or this point forward, but I thought there were libertarians left in the Conservative caucus, but their silence on this issue proves otherwise, or the fact that they, you know, have been promoted to the front bench and now have become silent, so many of them.

Mr. McIver: Yes, Mr. Speaker, we do expect people to believe that because the law says that we are required to release the records when we get a FOIP request, and that’s exactly what we do.

Mr. Carson: You know, the last time I had the opportunity to stand – and I imagine that after I finish speaking here, the Member for Lac Ste. Anne-Parkland will rise with a smile and talk about how wrong I am – I talked about the fact that, you know, I have been on many work sites as an electrician and before that as a finishing carpenter/labourer, and I’ve seen all sorts of things, good and bad, as I said, Madam Speaker. That member actually stood up and attacked my ability and also my place in this very Legislature, saying that: oh, he’s just a young man, you know; maybe once he gets older, he’ll understand how this legislation works. But it’s the exact same language that employers use against employees when they’re trying to tell them that they don’t deserve these kinds of benefits. It’s incredibly unfortunate.

Mr. Carson: Once again, I believe the previous member spoke about making it easier to understand. Workers want to know that those protections are going to be in place. Once again, this government coming from a place of privilege and talking about how great of an employer they are – and I hear members laughing like the idea of privilege is funny, but when we have people that come to our province, potentially as temporary foreign workers, potentially as underemployed workers, for many other reasons that people come, and expect for these protections to be in place and need those protections, things like being able to refuse unsafe work, being able to get fair compensation if they’re injured, this government is weakening that ability of those workers to get that. Just because somebody doesn’t understand the legislation that is in place for them, it doesn’t mean that they should not be fairly compensated.

Mr. Carson: Of course, at the time in 2011, just going back to the piece of legislation, C-6, which I believe this member was a part of, I’m sure – Canada Post had a CEO, Deepak Chopra, not to be confused with the Deepak Chopra that had quotes like “Happiness is a continuation of happenings which are not resisted.” He may have invoked that quote during his time while he was busting the union.

Mr. Carson: Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Well, this is the real world.